Synergistic insecticidal compositions

ABSTRACT

Compounds comprised of 2-(4-tert-butylphenoxy) cyclohexyl prop-2-ynyl sulfite and a synthetic pyrethroid exhibit synergistic pesticidal activity.

This is a division of Ser. No. 08/459,196, filed Jun. 2, 1995, now U.S. Pat. No. 5,534,543 which is a division of application Ser. No. 08/199,233, filed Feb. 22, 1994, now U.S. Pat. No. 5,491,168.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION Field of the Invention

This invention is directed to mixtures of propargite and synthetic pyrethroids, which exhibit synergistic activity as pesticides.

Thrips palmi is a transplanted insect from Southeast Asia which has caused serious damage to cucumber, watermelon, melon, eggplant and green pepper in recent years. It has no strong natural enemy, and is believed to cause more serious growth damage or fruit damage than any other known insect. Compounds such as sulbrophos, oxamil, carbosulphane, cypermethrin, pemfracalp, BMPC, DMTP, cyfulbenzron, etc. have been used in the past. However, none of them has had a sufficient protective effect.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

The compositions of the present invention contain an active ingredient comprising a mixture of A) propargite, and B) a synthetic pyrethroid. The present invention also comprises a method for controlling undesirable insects which comprises applying an effective amount of a composition according to the present invention to a locus to be protected.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

The propargite portion of the active ingredient is a well known insecticide sold under the trademark OMITE (Uniroyal Chemical Company) and has the chemical name 2-(4-tert-butylphenoxy) cyclohexyl prop-2-ynyl sulfite. Examples of the synthetic pyrethroid active ingredient are cyfluthrin, fenpropathrin, cyhalothrin, fluvalinate, tralomethrin, etofenprox, flucytirinate, cypermethrin, permethrin, and fenvalelate.

In the insecticide compositions of the present invention, the propargite component may be present in the amount of from 3 to 1,000 ppm, or more preferably 100-400 ppm. The synthetic pyrethroide type component may be present in the amount of from 1 to 1,000 ppm, or more preferably 10-200 ppm.

Propargite, which is one of the effective components of the insecticide offered by the present invention, shows almost no effect against minami-kiiro-azamiuma (also known as Thrips palmi) by itself. In addition, synthetic pyrethroide type insecticides, which is also one of the effective components of the insecticide compounds offered by the present invention, does not show sufficient effect against minami-kiiro-azamiuma by itself even in the case of cypermethrin which has obtained the Agricultural Chemical Registration in Japan. The compositions offered by the present invention give superior effectiveness which cannot be obtained by each component alone.

As it is described in the application example, common forms of agricultural agents such as aqueous solutions, emulsions, dry-flowable, flowable, or smoke agent which contain the propargite and the synthetic pyrethroide type insecticides may be prepared. Alternately, agents which contain the individual active ingredients are prepared and then mixed together later.

The present invention is explained in detail by reference to the following examples.

EXAMPLE 1

    ______________________________________                                         Propargite               30 parts                                              Tralomethrin              1 part                                               White Carbon (Silica)     2 parts                                              Diatmaceous Earth        58 parts                                              Alkylbenzene sodium sulfonate                                                                            2 parts                                              Lignin sodium sulfonate   7 parts                                              ______________________________________                                    

The above components were uniformly mixed, and dissolved in water to obtain a 31% aqueous solution.

EXAMPLE 2

    ______________________________________                                         Propargite               30 parts                                              Tralomethrin              1 part                                               Xylene                   44 parts                                              Dimethylformamide        15 parts                                              Alkylbenzone calcium sulfonate                                                                           4 parts                                              Polyoxyethylene-alkylphenylether                                                                         6 parts                                              ______________________________________                                    

The above components were mixed and melted to obtain a 31% emulsion.

EXAMPLE 3

A mixed aqueous solution of propargite (BPPS) and synthetic pyrethroid type insecticides was diluted to the concentrations shown in Table 1, and sprayed on individually potted 20-30 am tall greenhouse grown eggplants (kind: Kokuyo) which were severely infested by minami-kiiro-azamiuma by using a portable sprayer until the liquid started to drip from the leaves. The number of adult and larvae of minami-kiiro-azamiuma were counted before the spraying and a few days after the spraying, and its effectiveness compared with the effectiveness obtained by spraying them individually. The results are shown in Table 1.

                                      TABLE 1                                      __________________________________________________________________________                         Number of Insects/4 leaves.sup.1)                                      Concentration                                                                          O DAT.sup.2)                                                                         4 DAT 7 DAT 11 DAT                                   Treatment.sup.3)                                                                           (ppm)   A. L..sup.4)                                                                         A. L. A. L. A. L.                                    __________________________________________________________________________     Control (No Treatment)                                                                     --      59  79                                                                               93 136                                                                               152                                                                               183                                                                               104                                                                               626                                   Propargite (Pro.)                                                                          400     48  80                                                                               130                                                                               76 176                                                                               212                                                                               106                                                                               546                                   Pro. + Tralomethrin                                                                        400 + 10                                                                               28 179                                                                                0  0  0  0  1  0                                    Tralomethrin                                                                                10     31 108                                                                               17 71 59 123                                                                               44 64                                    Pro. + Cypermethrin                                                                        400 + 60                                                                               80 138                                                                                0  0  0  0  6  0                                    Cypermethrin                                                                                60     17 169                                                                                7 31 16  57                                                                               49 46                                    Pro. + Cyhalothrin                                                                         400 + 25                                                                               42 160                                                                                0  0  0  0 12  0                                    Cyhalothrin  25     26 132                                                                               35 153                                                                               69 185                                                                               39 65                                    Pro. + Permethrin                                                                           400 + 100                                                                             25 188                                                                                6 12  9  16                                                                               10  4                                    Permethrin  100     42 138                                                                               19 118                                                                               32 183                                                                               41 51                                    Pro. + Fluvalinate                                                                         400 + 50                                                                               12 206                                                                               15 10  1  2 15  0                                    Fluvalinate  50     45  91                                                                               58 196                                                                               57 224                                                                               111                                                                               161                                   Pro + Fenpropathrin                                                                         400 + 100                                                                             27 259                                                                               11 15  2  9  6  4                                    Fenpropathrin                                                                              100     22  86                                                                               33 180                                                                               70 130                                                                               57 52                                    Pro. + Etofenprox                                                                           400 + 200                                                                             18  94                                                                                9  3  4  10                                                                                9 12                                    Etofenprox  200     33  70                                                                               56 71 62 244                                                                               77 131                                   __________________________________________________________________________      .sup.1) 2 marked leaves/pot                                                    .sup.2) DAT = Days after treatment                                             .sup.3) Sprayed on May 27, 1991                                                .sup.4) A. = Adults L. = Larvae                                          

                                      TABLE 2                                      __________________________________________________________________________                         Number of Insects/4 leaves.sup.1)                                      Concentration                                                                          O DAT.sup.2)                                                                         4 DAT 7 DAT 11 DAT                                   Treatment.sup.3)                                                                           (ppm)   A. L..sup.4)                                                                         A. L. A. L. A. L.                                    __________________________________________________________________________     Control (No Treatment)                                                                     --      28 38 57 82 55 91 43 87                                    Propargite (Pro.)                                                                          400     28 38 19 37 15 46 33 72                                    Pro. + Tralomethrin                                                                        400 + 10                                                                               35 70  0  0  1  1  6  5                                    Tralomethrin                                                                               10      19 57 11 42 19 69 44 41                                    Pro. + Cypermethrin                                                                        400 + 60                                                                               60 102                                                                                0  0  3  4  2  1                                    Cypermethrin                                                                               60      16 24  9 36 29 28 55 20                                    Pro. + Cyhalothrin                                                                          400 + 100                                                                             34 62  0  0  0  1  2  0                                    Cyhalothrin 100     18 45 11 56 21 58 18 34                                    Pro. + Cyfluthrin                                                                          400 + 25                                                                               47 86  0  0  4  0  8  1                                    Cyfluthrin  25      27 97  8 28 35 104                                                                               45 17                                    Pro. + Fluvalinate                                                                         400 + 50                                                                               40 91  0  1  4  7  8  4                                    Fluvalinate 50      43 72 29 94 36 80 32 83                                    __________________________________________________________________________      .sup.1) 2 marked leaves/pot                                                    .sup.2) DAT = Days after treatment                                             .sup.3) Sprayed on May 27, 1991                                                .sup.4) A. = Adults L. = Larvae                                          

EXAMPLE 4

The effect of propargite (BPPS) and synthetic pyrethroid mixtures on minami-kiiro-azaiuma was studied in a manner similar to Example 3, except that the emulsion form of Example 2 was used. The results are shown in Table 2. 

What is claimed is:
 1. A composition useful for controlling Thrips palmi comprising synergistic insecticidally effective amounts of:(A) 2-(4-tert-butylphenoxy)cyclohexyl prop-2-ynyl sulfite; and (B) a synthetic pyrethroid selected from the group consisting of fluvalinate, etofenprox, flucythirinate, permethrin, and fenvalelate.
 2. A composition in accordance with claim 1 wherein component (A) is present in an concentration from 3-1000 ppm and component (B) is present in a concentration from 1-1000 ppm.
 3. A process for controlling Thrips palmi which comprises applying to a locus to be protected an effective amount of a composition in accordance with claim
 1. 